Semester grade? If so that's kinda a big deal I think, unless you have a really good explanation. My guidance counselor said he's never seen anyone get into HYPS-calibre schools with a semester grade of a C on their record.

Ouch... well is there any reason for it... any excuse? The thing is that generally people of ivy-calibre don't get Cs or esp. Ds unless either a) they were lazy in the class or b) there was some extenuating circumstance that caused it. Was it A or B for you? Or was it just a class that you were in over your head?

Sucks man... don't know what to tell you. Maybe you can ask your counselor if you can drop the class post-grading or get it supressed or something. Or maybe begging the teacher to do anything for a B? Haha... donno. It may really hurt, but to be honest it's not the end of the world.

To be honest, the Ivies are now irrevocably out of your league unless you cure a disease or convince your parents to give a million dollars to a school. That doesn't mean that you can't get a perfectly good education somewhere else.